The Loss of a Child
by islashlove
Summary: Father's Day brings back bad memories for our Detective Lassiter.


**Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is from Psych. **

**Warning: None**

**Beta: Yes, I would like to say thank you to my Beta jerseybelle**

**Author's Notes: ****This story is the response to a one word challenge from the Facebook group Fanfiction .net Writer's Unite. The word this week is Father****.**

**Story Notes: Father's Day brings back bad memories for our Detective Lassiter.**

**The Loss of a Child**

**Chapter 1: Can Change a Man.**

Lassiter sat at his desk listening to all the chitchat coming from his fellow officers. One proud father was given a tie that his own daughter had dyed, another, a painting that their son had painted in school. It was Father's Day, and all the proud dads were showing off what their children or wives had bought or made for them.

All Lassiter was grateful for was that he had worked the night shift and soon he would be heading home and not have to listen to anymore Father's Day talk. Ten more minutes, that's all he had left; surely the Chief wouldn't hold it over him if he left early. Quickly packing up his paperwork, Lassiter soon found himself walking towards the exit.

As he walked down the stairs, one of the new officers was walking up. As the Detective walked past and not knowing Lassiter's family history, the officer greeted him with, "Happy Father's Day, Detective Lassiter." But the young officer knew he had done something wrong when the whole station went quiet.

Lassiter just gave him a death glare before continuing to walk down the stairs and out of the station. The young officer watched him leave, letting out a deep breath as he realised he just had a narrow escape.

Lassiter sat in his car fuming. He knew what people were saying about him...that his marriage failed because they had no kids...that he hated kids and that's why he is so...distant. That only someone that can't understand the love of child could be like he was, but they didn't know him. They didn't know his past or the truth behind the rumours. They didn't know him.

Sure, they thought that either he or Victoria, or both of them, didn't want kids, but that was far from the truth. In fact, they both wanted, and even had, a child...a son and they loved him very much. Lassiter hadn't always been like this. He had once been a very happy and caring person. He had gone into the station with a smile and a song in his heart knowing that Victoria and Adam were waiting for him when he went home that night. He had loved being a father.

Unfortunately, Adam wasn't with them long; his life ended at the tender age of three. And it was all Lassiter's fault. He had kissed Victoria and Adam goodbye that morning and hopped into his car and drove to work.

As he arrived, he noticed Sergeant Spencer standing in the parking lot. He hadn't even opened the car door, before the Sergeant walked up to him.

"Officer Lassiter, you need to go home."

Something wasn't right. "Why, I'm just starting my shift, Sergeant Spencer?"

"Please." The Sergeant seemed to be trying the hold back tears. "You need to go home...now!"

The way he said now, sent shivers down Lassiter's back. But he obeyed the order and drove home. The closer he got to home, the more nervous he grew. As he turned that last corner, he went into full blown panic. Lights and sirens were everywhere around his home.

As soon as he pull up, Lassiter was out of the car and racing towards the house, only to be stopped by a police officer.

"Easy sir," the officer said as he grabbed Lassiter's arm.

"This is my house, where is my wife, my son?"

Lassiter could see tears in the officer's eyes. "Your wife is over there." Lassiter looked around and saw Victoria standing near an ambulance. Without turning around, Lassiter thanked the officer and walked over to Victoria.

"Vickie...what...?"

Lassiter watched as Victoria spun around, tears and anger burning in her eyes.

"You killed him. You killed Adam."

"What...what do you mean?" It was now he could see the still body of his beloved son in the back of the ambulance. "How..."

"Officer Lassiter?" Lassiter turned to find a detective standing there. "We need to ask you some questions."

Lassiter looked back at the ambulance. By now Victoria had climbed in and they were shutting the doors. "Sure." At that moment, Lassiter felt something inside him die.

"Where did you go when you left here this morning?"

"I went to work. How did this happen? What did Victoria mean I did it? I don't understand."

"It seems that when you reversed out of your driveway, your son was behind the car and..."

"No," Lassiter said as he shook his head. "When I left, Adam and Victoria were inside the house, I...I saw her shut the door."

"It seems the door didn't latch correctly and your son wandered out. You didn't feel anything...see anything?"

"No, nothing, not even a bump. How did they know so quickly, at the station?"

"We rang and explained what had happened. We need to ask some more questions, but they can wait until after you have been to the hospital." The detective looked over at Lassiter's car. "I'm sorry, but we will have to take you car in for forensic testing, so I will give you a lift."

Lassiter was numb. In a split second, his world had been destroyed. His had killed his son and with Adam's death, his marriage also died. Looking back at the detective, Lassiter just nodded his reply.

Lassiter had slowly grown cold from that day on. Without Adam, he no longer had meaning in his life, his marriage failed and his heart had turned to stone.

It wasn't that he was heartless, no; he couldn't do his job if he was. It was because it hurt too much to hear what other fathers have done with their children when he never got the chance to do them with Adam.

Looking back over to the station stairs, he saw Spencer with his dad. They may not have the perfect father-son relationship, but at least they still had each other. As Henry and Shawn looked his way, Lassiter wondered if Henry remembered what happened on that fateful day.

Lassiter opened up his wallet and looked at the faded picture he had of Adam, but before the tears could fall, he shook his head, put the car into drive and drove away.

**The End**

**Thank you for reading and reviewing my story.**


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